t:TN 

L  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA 


:ALLIE.  STATE  GEOLOGIST 


HAND-BOOK 

MINERAL  RESOURCES 

OF 

GEORGIA 


s.  w.  MCCALLIE 

STATE  GEOLOGIST 


ATLANTA;  GA. 

1918 


EXCHANGE 


GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA 

S.  W.  McCALLIE,  STATE  GEOLOGIST 


HAND-BOOK 

MINERAL  RESOURCES 

OF 

GEORGIA 


REVISED   EDITION 


S.  W.  MCCALLIE 

STATE  GEOLOGIST 


ATLANTA.  GA. 

1918 

FOOTE  &  DAVIES  CO.,  ATLANTA 


EXCHANGE 


THE  ADVISORY  BOARD 

OF  THE 

GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY 
GEORGIA 

IN  THE  YEAR    1918 


(EX-OFFICIO) 

His  Excellency  HUGH  M.  DORSEY,    Governor  oi  Georgia 
PRESIDENT  OF  THE  BOARD 

HON.  PHILIP  COOK Secretary  oi  State 

HON.  W.  J.  SPEER  ---..-  -  State  Treasurer 
HON.  W.  A.  WRIGHT  -  -  -  -  Comptroller-General 
HON.  CLIFFORD  WALKER  -  -  Attorney-General 
HON.  J.  J.  BROWN  -  -  Commissioner  of  Agriculture 
HON.  M.  L.  BRITTAIN  Commissioner  oi  Public  Schools 


393285 


MINERAL  RESOURCES 

OF 

GEORGIA 


The  mineral  resources  of  Georgia  are 
both  varied  and  extensive.  The  State 
is  producing  at  present  34  different  kinds 
of  minerals  in  commercial  quantities. 
This  great  diversity  of  mineral  resources 
is  accounted  for  in  a  large  measure  by 
the  great  diversity  in  the  geological  for- 
mations. 

Following  the  description  of  each  indi- 
vidual mineral  here  given  will  be  found 
references  to  publications  issued  by  the 
State  Geological  Survey,  in  which  the 
minerals  are  more  fully  discussed.  Any 
of  these  publications  can  be  obtained 
from  the  State  Geologist  upon  payment 
of  postage. 

ASBESTOS 

Asbestos  is  a  fibrous  mineral  often  re- 
sembling petrified  wood.  The  asbestos 
deposits  of  Georgia  are  confined  chiefly 
to  the  Piedmont  Plateau,  where  they  are 
found  associated  with  dark  colored,  igne- 
ous rocks.  There  are  two  varieties  of  as- 
bestos, the  chrysotile  and  the  amphibole, 


8         Gi -O,,P<, ii  AT.  SURVEY  Or  GEORGIA. 

The  latter  variety  is  extensively  mined 
in  Habersham  and  White  counties,  near 
Nacoochee,  this  State.  The  White  County 
mines  here  referred  to  have  been  the 
chief  producers  of  asbestos  in  this  coun- 
try for  several  years.  The  finer  varieties 
of  asbestos  are  spun  and  woven  into  fire- 
proof cloth.  It  is  a  non-conductor  of  heat 
and  electricity,  and  therefore  is  used  for 
electrical  insulation,  steam  pipe,  boiler 
coverings,  etc.  It  is  also  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  fire-proof  paint,  various 
building  materials,  such  as  lumber,  shin- 
gles and  plaster. 

References  on  Asbestos: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Go,.  Geol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

Hopkins,  Oliver  B.,  Asbestos,  Talc,  and  Soap- 
stone  Deposits  of  Georgia.  Bull.  Ga.  Geol. 
Survey  No.  29,  1914,  319  pp. 

BARYTES 

This  mineral,  often  called  heavy  spar, 
from  its  high  specific  gravity,  is  a  com- 
mon gangue  mineral  of  lead,  zinc,  copper, 
etc.  It  likewise  occurs  as  distinct  veins 
and  as  irregular  ore  bodies  in  limestones, 
sandstones,  and  in  residual  clays.  The 
Georgia  barytes  deposits,  which  have  so 
far  been  worked  in  a  commercial  way, 
are  located  near  Emerson,  Bartow 
County,  and  at  Eton.  Murray  County.  The 
mineral  is  largely  used  as  a  substitute 
for  white  lead.  It  is  used  also  in  the 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.         9 

manufacture  of  paper,  rubber,  oilcloths, 
paper  collars,  and  barium  salts,  as  well 
as  for  refining  sugar,  glazing  pottery,  and 
for  enameling  iron. 

Georgia  last  year  produced  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  barytes  mined  in  the  United 
States,  all  of  which  came  from  the  Car- 
tersville  district. 

References  on  Barytes: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia:  Bull.  Ga.  GeoL  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

Hull.  J.  P.  D..  Barytes  Deposits  of  Georgia: 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  36,  in  preparation. 


BARYTES  MINING.   BARTOW  COUNTY. 
BAUXITE 

The  first  bauxite  found  in  America  was 
discovered  near  Hermitage,  Floyd  Coun- 


10      GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

ty,  in  1887.  Later,  deposits  were  found 
in  Polk,  Bartow,  Gordon,  Chattooga  and 
Walker  counties,  and  between  1907  and 
1915  deposits  were  found  in  the  vicinity 
of  Mclntyre,  Wilkinson  County,  near  An- 
dersonville,  Sumter  County,  and  also  near 
Warm  Springs,  Meriwether  County.  The 
bauxites  of  northwest  Georgia  are  asso- 
ciated with  Cambrian  rocks,  while  those 
of  central  Georgia  occur  associated  with 
the  white  Cretaceous  kaolins.  Since  1888 
a  high  percentage  of  the  bauxite  mined  in 


BAUXITE  MINE,  SUMTER  COUNTY. 

this  country  has  been  obtained  from  Ar- 
kansas, Georgia  and  Alabama. 

Bauxite  is  a  hydroxide  of  alumina.  The 
ore  occurs  both  in  the  form  of  large 
pockets  and  as  beds,  and  is  mined  in  the 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.      11 

same  manner  as  clay.  The  Georgia 
bauxites  are  used  largely  in  the  manu- 
facture of  alum  and  the  metal  aluminum. 
Bauxite  is  also  employed  in  making  fire- 
brick and  alundum,  an  artificial  abrasive. 

References  on  Bauxite: 

Watson,  Thos.  L.,  Bauxite  D'eposits  of  Geor- 
gia :  'Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  11,  1904, 
169  pp. 

Veatch,  Otto,  Clay  Deposits  of  Georgia : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  18,  1909,  Appen- 
dix D. 

Shearer,  H.  K.,  Bauxite  and  Fullers  Earth 
Deposits  ot  the  Coastal  Plain  of  Georgia : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  31,  1917,  340  pp. 

CEMENTS 

Both  natural  and  Portland  cements  are 
made  in  Georgia.  Natural  cement  plants 
are  located  at  Cement,  Bartow  County 
and  at  Rossville,  Walker  County,  while 
extensive  Portland  cement  plants  are  op- 
erated at  Rockmart,  Polk  County.  The 
raw  materials  for  the  manufacture  of 
Portland  cement,  consisting  of  lime- 
stones and  shales,  are  abundant  and 
pretty  generally  distributed  throughout 
northwest  Georgia.  Both  Portland  and 
natural  cements  are  largely  used  for 
structural  purposes,  and  as  these  uses 
are  so  rapidly  increasing  it  might  be 
said  that  we  are  now  entering  the  ce- 
ment age  of  structural  material. 


12       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 
References  on  Cements: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia:  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

Maynard,  T.  Poole.  Limestones  and  Cement 
Materials  of  North  Georgia:  Bull.  Ga.  Geol. 
Survey  No.  27,  1912,  296  pp. 

Brantly,  J.  E.,  Limestone  and  Marls  of  the 
Coastal  Plain  of  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Sur- 
vey No.  21,  1916,  300  pp. 


PORTLAND  CEMENT  PLANT,   POLK  COUNTY. 
CHLORITE 

Chlorite  is  a  magnesian  aluminum  sili- 
cate composed  of  greenish  or  grey  mica- 
like  scales.  It  has  a  soapy  feel  and  for 
this  reason  it  is  often  mistaken  for  talc 
or  soapstone. 

This  material  occurs  in  commercial 
quantities  five  miles  west  of  Canton, 
Cherokee  County.  In  the  last  two  or 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.      13 

three  years  this  chlorite  deposit  has  been 
extensively  mined  and  hauled  to  Canton, 
where  it  is  ground  and  prepared  for 
markets.  It  is  said  to  be  used  for  foun- 
dry facings,  coating  tarred  roof  paper, 
in  the  manufacture  of  electrical  insula- 
tors, for  lubricating  purposes,  etc. 

Reference  on  Chlorite: 

Hopkins,  p.  B.,  Asbestos,  Talc  and  Soap- 
stone  Deposits  of  Georgia  :  null.  Oa.  Geol. 
Survey  A'o.  _M),  11)14,  319  pp. 

CHROMITE 

Only  two  counties  in  Georgia,  namely, 
Towns  and  Troup,  as  far  as  known  at 
present,  have  chromite  in  apparently 
commercial  quantity.  The  deposit  in 
Towns  County  is  located  two  miles  due 
west  of  Hiawassee,  on  lot  92;  while  the 
deposit  in  Troup  County  is  near  Louise. 
From  the  latter  locality  a  limited  amount 
of  ore  has  recently  been  shipped.  The 
ore  in  both  localities  is  associated  with 
ferro-magnesian  rock  and  is  generally 
found  in  the  form  of  boulders  in  residual 
clays. 

Chromite  is  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  hard  chrome  steel  and  chrome  brick, 
which  stand  intense  heat.  It  is  also  used 
in  calico  printing  and  electric  batteries 
as  well  as  a  source  of  various  chromium 
compounds  such  as  potassium  bi-chrom- 
ate. 


14       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 
Reference  on  Chromite: 

Hopkins,  O.  B.,  Asbestos,  Talc  and  Soap- 
stone  Deposits  of  Georgia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol. 
Survey  No.  29,  1914,  319  pp. 

CLAYS 

The  clays  of  Georgia,  which  may  be 
classed  as  one  of  our  inexhaustible  min- 
eral resources,  present  a  great  variety. 
In  the  southern  part  of  the  State  occur 
the  Cretaceous  and  Tertiary  sedimentary 
clays.  The  great  thickness  of  these  beds 
and  the  purity  of  the  clays  themselves 
are  probably  nowhere  else  to  be  dupli- 
cated in  this  country.  These  clays,  which 
are  now  being  extensively  mined,  are 
used  largely  for  the  manufacture  of  high- 
grade  china,  for  paper  filler,  and  for  fire- 
brick, terra  cotta,  etc.  Scarcely  less  im- 
portant are  the  alluvial  and  residual 
clays  of  the  Piedmont  Plateau  and  north- 
west Georgia,  which  have  extensive  use 
in  the  manufacture  of  common  building 
brick.  The  value  of  the  clay  products 
of  Georgia  now  exceeds  that  of  any  other 
mineral  product  of  the  State. 

References  on   Clays: 

Ladd,  Geo.  E.,  The  Clay  Deposits  of  Georgia  : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  6-A,  1898,  204  pp. 

Veatch,  Otto,  Clay  Deposits  of  Georgia : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  18,  1909,  453  pp. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.      15 


- 


KAOLIN  PLANT,  TWIGGS  COUNTY. 
COAL 

The  coal  measures  of  Georgia  are  con- 
fined to  Sand,  Lookout  and  Pigeon  moun- 
tains, in  Bade,  Walker  and  Chattooga 
counties.  They  form  a  part  of  the  north- 
ern extension  of  the  Coosa  and  the  War- 
rior coal  fields  of  Alabama.  The  Durham 
Coal  and  Coke  Company's  mine  and  the 
mine  of  the  Vulcan  Coal  Company,  both 
located  on  Lookout  Mountain,  are  the 
only  mines  now  in  operation  in  the  State. 
The  coal  from  these  mines  is  semi-bitum- 
inous, has  a  high  heating  value,  and  is 
largely  used  for  steam  and  coking  pur- 
poses. The  total  coal  area  of  the  State 
is  approximately  170  square  miles,  which 
area  is  estimated  to  have  had  originally 
933,000,000  short  tons  of  coal.  About  12,- 
000,000  tons  of  coal  have  been  mined  up 


16       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

to  the  present,  leaving  still  in  the  ground 
a  total  of  921,000,000  tons,  enough  to  last 
the  State,  at  our  present  rate  of  consump- 
tion, for  more  than  200  years. 

Reference  on  Coal: 

McCallie,    S.    W.,    Coal   Deposits   of   Georgia : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  ~Vo.  12,   1904,   121  pp. 


COKE  OVENS.   WALKER  COUNTY. 
COPPER 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       17 

posits  have  been  worked  at  only  one 
place,  namely,  the  Canton  copper  mine, 
one  mile  south  of  Canton.  The  Waldrop 
copper  mine  in  Haralson  County  is  lo- 
cated about  three  miles  northwest  of 
Draketown,  near  the  Haralson-Polk  county 
line.  In  addition  to  the  deposits  here 
named,  copper  is  also  known  to  occur 
in  Lincoln,  Lumpkin  and  Fulton  coun- 
ties. The  copper  deposits  of  Fannin, 
Cherokee  and  Haralson  counties  are  as- 
sociated with  Cambrian  rocks,  while 
those  in  Lumpkin,  Fulton  and  Lincoln 
counties  occur  in  older  rocks,  probably 
Archaean. 

References  on  Copper: 

McCallie,  S.  W..  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

Shearer,  H.  K.  and  Hull,  J.  P.  D.,  A  Pre- 
liminary Report  on  a  Part  of  the  Pyrite  De- 
posits of  Georgia.  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No. 
33,  in  preparation. 

CORUNDUM 

Corundum  is  an  aluminum  oxide.  It  is 
next  to  the  diamond  in  hardness.  There 
are  three  varieties  of  this  mineral:  sap- 
phire, corundum  and  emery.  The  purer 
kinds  of  fine  colors,  transparent  or 
translucent,  used  for  gems,  are  known 
as  sapphires  and  rubies;  the  dull  colors, 
not  transparent,  are  called  corundum; 
while  the  black  or  grayish  black  variety, 
intimately  mixed  with  oxide  of  iron, 


18       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

either  magnetite  or  hematite,  is  known  as 
emery.  All  varieties  of  corundum  have 
been  found  in  Georgia,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  emery.  The  principal  variety  is 
the  non-transparent  variety.  A  few  gems 
of  the  variety  sapphire  have  been  found 
near  Hiawassee,  Towns  County.  These 
were  small,  prismatic  crystals  of  ruby 
color,  but  somewhat  cloudy.  A  few  gems 
of  sapphire  are  said  to  have  been  found 
at  the  Laurel  Creek  mine  in  Rabun 
County.  Corundum  is  known  to  occur  in 
many  counties  in  north  Georgia.  The 
chief  corundum  output  has  come  from 
the  Laurel  Creek  mine,  located  in  the 
extreme  northeastern  part  of  Rabun 
County. 

From  1880  until  1892,  Georgia  was  one 
of  the  chief  corundum  producing  states 
in  the  Union.  In  recent  years,  the  mines 
have  been  idle,  due,  chiefly,  to  the  low 
price  of  corundum.  In  addition  to  gem 
material,  corundum  has  an  extensive  use 
as  an  abrasive. 

Reference  on  Corundum: 

King,  Francis  P..  Corundum  Deposits  of 
Georgia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  2,  1894, 
133  pp. 

FELDSPAR 

The  feldspars  are  widely  distributed 
throughout  the  Piedmont  and  Appalach- 
ian areas  of  Georgia,  where  they  occur  in 
dikes  associated  with  mica  and  quartz. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       19 

The  only  place  where  feldspar  has  so 
far  been  mined  in  any  quantity  is  near 
Hiram  in  Paulding  County.  A  limited 
amount  has  also  been  mined  in  White 
and  Rabun  counties.  The  Georgia  feld- 
spars so  far  put  on  the  market  are  potash 
feldspars  and  have  been  used  for  fer- 
tilizer purposes  after  being  chemically 
treated  to  make  the  potash  soluble. 

Feldspar  is  used  extensively  as  an  in- 
gredient in  the  raw  mix  of  china  por- 
celain, whitewash,  glazes,  and  enamels. 
It  is  also  used  as  an  ingredient  in  some 
polishing  scouring  soaps;  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  certain  kinds  of  glass,  for  pot- 
tery, grits,  etc. 

Furthermore,  it  has  recently  been  used 
to  a  limited  extent  as  a  source  of  potash. 

Reference  on   Feldspar: 

Galpin,  S.  L.,  Feldspar  and  Mica  Deposits 
of  Georgia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  30, 
1915,  129  pp. 

FLUORSPAR 

Fluorspar  is  used  largely  as  a  flux  in 
smelting  ore,  in  the  manufacture  of  opal- 
escent glass,  and  hydrofluoric  acid.  The 
mineral  has  a  variety  of  colors,  the  most 
common  being  purple  and  green. 

Fine  specimens  of  this  mineral,  having 
a  beautiful  greenish  color,  have  recently 
been  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Ranger, 
Gordon  county.  At  Graysville,  in  Chat- 
tooga  County,  the  mineral  in  the  form 


20       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

of  cubic  crystals  with  a  violet  color,  oc- 
curs associated  with  limestone. 

FULLERS    EARTH 

The  best  known  deposits  of  fullers 
earth  occur  near  Dry  Branch,  Twiggs 
County,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Attapul- 
gus,  Decatur  County,  where  they  have 
been  worked  for  some  years.  Extensive 
deposits  also  occur  in  Bibb,  Columbia 


FULLERS  EARTH  PLANT,   TWIGGS  COUNTY. 

and  other  counties  near  the  Fall  Line. 
The  deposits  of  Twiggs  County  are  now 
being  worked  by  the  General  Reduction 
Company.  Georgia  stands  second  in  the 
production  of  fullers  earth,  being  ex- 
ceeded only  by  Florida. 

Fullers  earth  is  a  clay-like  material  of 
various  colors.    It  differs  from  common 


MINERAL  Rt SOURCES  OF  GEOHGIA.       21 

clay  in  being  more  porous,  carrying  a 
high  percentage  of  silica  as  compared 
with  the  alumina  and  in  having  little  or 
no  plasticity.  Fullers  earth,  so-called  on 
account  of  it  being  first  used  in  fulling 
cloth,  is  now  largely  employed  in  decolor- 
izing and  clarifying  oils  and  fats.  Be- 
sides the  use  here  given,  it  has  also  a 
limited  application  in  the  preparation 
of  certain  medicines  and  in  the  manu- 
facture of  soap,  as  well  as  an  absorbent. 

References    on    Fullers    Earth. 

Veatch,  Otto,  Clay  Deposits  of  Georgia  : 
Hull.  Ga.  Geol.  Surrey  ATo.  18.  1900,  433  pp. 

Shearer,  H.  K.,  Bauxite  and  Fullers  Earth  of 
the  Coastal  Plain  of  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol. 
Survey  No.  31,  1917,  340  pp. 

GOLD. 

Gold  has  been  mined  in  Georgia  for 
more  than  three-quarters  of  a  century. 
Previous  to  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia, the  mines  of  Georgia  furnished 
the  greater  part  of  the  gold  produced  in 
the  United  States.  As  early  as  1838,  the 
output  of  the  mines  of  the  State  had  be- 
come so  important  that  the  United  States 
government  found  it  necessary  to  estab- 
lish a  miritat  Dahlonega.  The  gold  de- 
posits of  Georgia  belong  to  the  Appalach- 
ian gold  fields,  an  auriferous  belt  extend- 
ing from  Nova  Scotia  to  Alabama.  In 
Georgia,  the  gold  occurs  in  a  number  of 
narrow,  parallel  belts,  having  a  north- 
east-southwest trend.  The  most  impor- 


22       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 


GOLD  MINING  PLANT,    HARALSON  COUNTY. 

tant  of  these  are  the  Dahlonega  and  Hall 
county  belts.  Another  belt  including  some 
very  important  mines  traverses  Lincoln, 
Columbia,  McDuffie  and  Warren  counties, 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State.  The  in- 
dividual auriferous  belts  are  usually 
made  up  of  a  great  number  of  veins  or 
ore  bodies  running  parallel  to  each  other. 
The  veins  vary  in  thickness  from  a  frac- 
tion of  an  inch  to  several  feet  or  rods, 
and  often  continue  without  interruption 
for  long  distances. 

References  on   Gold: 

Yeates,  W.  S.,  McCallie,  S.  W.,  King,  F.  P., 
Gold  Deposits  of  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Sur- 
vey No.  4-A,  1896,  542  pp. 

Jones,  S.  Percy,  Gold  Deposits  of  Georgia : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  19,  1909,  283  pp. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       23 

GRANITES 

The  granites  of  Georgia,  together  with 
the  gneisses,  constitute  the  most  exten- 
sive and  one  of  the  most  important 
building  and  monumental  stones  in  the 
State.  They  occur  in  inexhaustible  quan- 
tities and  are  widely  distributed  through- 
out the  Piedmont  Plateau.  One  of  the 
most  interesting  and  one  of  the  largest 
barren  granite  masses  in  the  country  is 
that  of  Stone  Mountain,  located  only  a 
few  miles  northeast  of  Atlanta.  This 
mountain  has  long  been  the  seat  of  a 
very  important  granite  industry.  The 
stone  obtained  from  these  quarries  is  a 
light  colored  muscovite  granite  possess- 
ing remarkable  strength,  and  is  quite 
free  from  all  chemical  and  physical  de- 
fects. The  stone  has  extensive  use  as 
a  building  material  and  is  also  largely  em- 
ployed in  street  improvement.  There  is 
probably  no  granite  in  the  South  more 
widely  known  and  more  generally  used 
than  that  furnished  by  the  Stone  Moun- 
tain quarries.  Another  granite,  or  rather 
a  granite-gneiss,  of  almost  as  much 
economic  importance  as  the  Stone  Moun- 
tain granite,  is  the  Lithonia  granite. 
This  stone  covers  a  considerable  area 
in  the  eastern  part  of  DeKalb  and  the 
contiguous  parts  of  Rockdale  and  Gwin- 
nett  counties.  The  Lithonia  quarries  are 
very  extensive  and  furnish  large  quanti- 
ties of  stone  for  street  improvements  as 


24       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

well  as  for  concrete  and  general  building 
purposes. 

In  addition  to  the  granites  here  named, 
there  are  other  granites  of  superior  qual- 
ity used  for  monumental  stone.  Some  of 
the  granites  of  this  character  are  those 
obtained  from  the  Elberton,  the  Oglesby, 
the  Lexington  and  the  Meriwether  quar- 
ries. These  monumental  granites  have 
but  few  equals,  if  any  superiors,  in  the 
United  States  as  a  monumental  stone. 
At  present,  Georgia  stands  seventh  *n  the 
rank  of  the  production  of  granite  in  i" 
country,  being  exceeded  only  by  Verm;  _it, 
Massachusetts,  Maine,  Colorado,  Wiscon- 
sin and  Maryland. 

Reference  on   Granites: 

Watson,  Thos.  L.,  Granites  and  Gneisses  of 
Georgia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  9-A, 
1902,  367  pp. 

GRAPHITE 

Both  amorphous  and  crystalline  varie- 
ties of  this  mineral  occur  in  Georgia. 
The  amorphous  variety  is  quite  abundant 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Emerson,  Bartow 
County,  where  it  has  been  mined  on  a 
more  or  less  extensive  scale.  Fine  sam- 
ples of  crystalline  graphite  have  been 
found  in  Bartow,  Pickens,  Elbert,  Hall, 
Madison,  Douglas,  Troup  and  Cobb  coun- 
ties. All  of  the  graphite  material  so  far 
mined  in  Georgia  has  been  used  as  a 
filler  for  commercial  fertilizers. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       25 

Reference  on  Graphite: 

McCallio,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  BuU.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

IRON   ORES 

Iron  ores  occur  in  Georgia  in  large 
quantities.  The  most  common  ores  are 
the  brown  ores,  or  limonites,  and  the  fos- 
sil ores,  or  hematites.  Magnetite  also  oc- 
curs. The  brown  iron  ores  are  most 
abundant  in  Polk,  Bartow  and  Floyd 
counties,  but  workable  deposits  are  also 
to  be  found  in  nearly  every  county  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  State.  These 
ores  are  confined  chiefly  to  two  geological 
horizons,  viz.,  the  Weisner  quartzite  and 
Knox  dolomite.  The  ores  associated  with 
the  Weisner  quartzite  sometimes  occur 
in  ill-defined  veins,  but  more  generally 
they  are  found  in  the  form  of  pockets  or 
irregular  deposits  in  the  residual  clays. 
The  brown  iron  ores  of  the  Knox  dolo- 
mite series  occur  chiefly  in  the  form  of 
pockets  or  irregular  deposits  in  the  resid- 
ual clays.  The  deposits  are  quite  varia- 
ble in  size.  Some  of  the  individual  de- 
posits in  the  vicinity  of  Cedartown  have 
been  worked  on  an  extensive  scale  for 
more  than  ten  years  without  exhausting 
the  supply. 

The  red,  or  fossil,  iron  ores  of  Georgia 
are  confined  to  Bade,  Walker,  Chattooga 
and  Catoosa  counties.  These  ores  occur 
in  the  Red  Mountain  iron  ore  bearing 


26       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

series,  which  is  so  well  developed  near 
Birmingham.  The  ores  occur  in  continu- 
ous beds  varying  from  a  few  inches  to 
several  feet  in  thickness.  Some  idea  may 
be  had  as  to  the  abundance  of  the  red 
fossil  iron  ores  of  Georgia  when  it  is 
stated  that  the  aggregate  length  of  the 
outcroppings  of  the  beds,  which  average 
more  than  two  feet  in  thickness,  is  ap- 
proximately 175  miles,  and  that  in  many 
places  the  ore  can  be  economically  mined 
to  the  depth  of  several  hundred  feet. 

References  on    Iron   Ores: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Iron  Ores  of  Polk,  Bartow 
and  Floyd  counties.  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol. 
Survey  No.  10-A,  1900,  190  pp. 

Fossil  Iron  Ores  of  Georgia : 

Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  17,  1908,  199  pp. 


IRON  ORE  MINING.    POLK  COUNTY. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.      27 

LIMESTONES 

Cambrian,  Silurian  and  Carboniferous 
limestone,  suitable  for  lime,  fluxing  and 
building  materials,  exist  in  great  abun- 
dance in  northwest  Georgia.  The  most 
extensive  of  these  calcareous  formations 
is  the  Knox  dolomite,  a  magnesian  lime- 
stone of  great  thickness.  This  formation 
furnishes  much  of  the  lime  used  in  the 
State,  as  well  as  a  large  amount  of  stone 
for  concrete  and  for  general  building  pur- 
poses. Other  calcareous  formations  of 
scarcely  less  commercial  importance  are 
the  Bangor  and  the  Chickamauga  lime- 


LIMESTONE  CRUSHING  PLANT,    BARTOW  COUNTY. 

stones.  In  addition  to  these  occurrences, 
extensive  beds  suitable  for  lime  and  for 
agricultural  purposes  occur  in  the  Creta- 
ceous and  Tertiary  formations  of  south 
Georgia. 


28       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 
References  on  Limestones: 

McCallie,  S.  W..  Roads  and  Road-Building 
Materials  of  Georgia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey 
No.  8,  1901,  264  pp. 

Maynard  T.  Poole,  Limestone  and  Cement 
Materials  of  North  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol. 
Survey  No.  27,  1912,  296  i>i>. 

Brantly.  J.  E.,  Limestones  and  Marls  of  the 
Coastal  Plain  of  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Sur- 
vey No.  21,  1916,  300  pp. 

MANGANESE 

The  manganese  ores,  like  the  brown 
iron  ores,  are  confined  chiefly  to  Bartow, 
Floyd  and  Polk  counties.  The  largest 
and  most  productive  deposits  are  found 
in  the  vicinity  of  Cartersville,  where  the 
ores  occur  as  irregular  deposits  in  the 
residual  clays  derived  from  the  Beaver 
limestone  and  the  Weisner  quartzite.  The 
manganese  deposits  of  Georgia  have  been 
worked  almost  continuously  for  many 
years.  During  their  early  workings  the 
ores  were  shipped  to  England,  but  in  the 
last  few  years  they  have  found  a  ready 
market  in  this  country,  where  they  have 
been  used  in  the  manufacture  of  steel  and 
for  bleaching  powder. 

References  on   Manganese: 

Watson,  Thos.  L.,  Manganese  Deposits  of 
Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  14,  1908, 
195  pp. 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       29 

MARBLES 

Previous  to  1884,  the  marbles  of  Geor- 
gia were  practically  unknown  as  building 
and  ornamental  stones,  but  at  present 
the  output  of  the  quarries  exceeds  that  of 
any  State  in  the  Union  with  the  exception 
of  Vermont.  The  most  valuable  marbles 
of  Georgia  are  those  of  Pickens,  Chero- 


GEORGIA  MARBLE  QUARRIES,  PICKENS  COUNTY. 

kee,  Gilmer  and  Fannin  counties.  These 
marbles  occur  in  a  narrow  belt  which 
runs  parallel  to  the  Louisville  and  Nash- 
ville Railroad,  from  near  Ball  Ground, 
Cherokee  County,  to  the  Georgia-North 
Carolina  State  line,  a  distance  of  more 
than  60  miles.  The  main  marble  Indus- 


30       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

try  of  the  State  is  located  in  the  vicinity 
of  Tate,  Pickens  County,  where  the  de- 
posit attains  its  greatest  thickness.  The 
Pickens  County  marble  usually  has  a 
coarse  texture,  but  admits  of  a  very  fine 
polish  and  is  admirably  suited  both  for 
building  and  monumental  purposes.  In 
color,  the  stone  varies  from  white  to  al- 
most black.  A  flesh-colored  variety  is 
also  found.  The  physical  and  chemical 
properties,  as  shown  by  the  numerous 
tests  made  by  the  State  Geological  Sur- 
vey, demonstrate  that  its  durability 
equals  or  exceeds  that  of  any  other  mar- 
ble now  being  put  upon  the  market. 

At  present  a  number  of  different  mar- 
ble quarries,  having  an  aggregate  annual 
output  of  several  hundred  thousand  cubic 
feet  of  stone,  are  being  operated  in  Pick- 
ens  County.  The  product  of  the  quarries 
is  shipped  to  nearly  every  State  in  the 
Union,  where  it  is  used  in  the  construc- 
tion and  decoration  of  some  of  the  most 
costly  buildings.  The  State  capitols  of 
Minnesota  and  Rhode  Island;  the  United 
States  Government  building,  Boston;  St. 
Luke's  Hospital,  New  York;  the  Corcoran 
Art  Gallery,  Washington;  and  the  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  Chicago, 
111.,  with  numerous  other  handsome  build- 
ings throughout  the  United  States,  are 
constructed  wholly  or  in  part  of  the 
Georgia  marble.  There  is  probably  no 
building  stone  in  this  country,  in  recent 
years,  which  has  gained  such  a  wide- 
spread use  and  given  such  universal  sat- 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       31 

isfaction  as  the  Georgia  marble.  The 
growth  of  the  use  of  the  stone  has  also 
been  equally  as  phenomenal  in  monu- 
mental work. 

Reference  on  Marble: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Marbles  of  Georgia:  Bull, 
Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  1  Revised,  1907,  126  pp. 

MARLS 

Marls  of  good  quality  are  found  in  the 
Cretaceous  and  Tertiary  formations  of 
south  Georgia.  There  is  probably  no 
county  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State 
which  does  not  possess  marl  deposits  of 
more  or  less  agricultural  value.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  common  calcareous  or  shell 
marl,  green  sand  marls  also  occur. 
Analyses  of  these  green  sands  show  that 
they  carry  a  considerable  amount  of 
phosphoric  acid  and  potash,  two  of  the 
most  important  plant  foods.  The  use  of 
the  Georgia  marls  as  a  natural  fertilizer 
has  so  far  been  quite  limited,  but  in  all 
cases  where  they  have  been  given  a  fair 
test  the  result  has  been  entirely  satis- 
factory. 

References  on   Marls: 

McCallie.  S.  W.,  Phosphates  and  Marls  of 
Georgia  :  Bull.  Oa.  Geol.  Survey  No.  5-A,  1896, 
98  pp. 

Brantly,  J.  E.,  Limestones  and  Marls  of  the 
Coastal  Plain  of  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Sur- 
vey No.  21,  1916,  300  pp. 


32       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  or  GEORGIA. 
MICA 

Mica  is  widely  distributed  throughout 
the  Piedmont  Plateau.  It  has  been  work- 
ed to  a  limited  extent  in  Upson,  Cherokee, 
Lumpkin,  Union,  Hall  and  Rabun  coun- 
ties. Some  of  the  most  promising  pros- 
pects in  Cherokee  County  are  in  the 
vicinity  of  Holly  Springs  and  Toonigh, 
and  in  the  Hickory  Plats  district  about 
ten  miles  southeast  of  Canton.  The 
Lumpkin  and  Union  County  deposits,  as 
so  far  developed,  occur  near  the  Lumpkin- 
Union  county  line.  Upson  County  is  now 
an  active  producer  as  well  as  Meriwether 
County.  Mica  has  been  mined  in  Rabun 
County  at  the  Kell  Mica  Mine,  10  miles 
east  of  Clayton,  and  in  Hall  County,  near 
Gainesville.  In  addition  to  these  locali- 
ties, good  mica  prospects  are  found  in  a 
large  number  of  other  counties  in  the 
Piedmont  Plateau. 

Mica  has  a  great  variety  of  uses,  but 
at  present  the  greater  part  of  the  produc- 
tion is  consumed  in  the  electrical  indus- 
try. Ground  mica  is  largely  used  in  wall 
paper  and  roofing  as  well  as  a  lubricant. 

References  on    Mica: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

Galpin,  S.  L.,  Feldspar  and  Mica  Deposits 
of  Georgia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  30, 
1915,  190  pp. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       33 
OCHER 


The  ocher  mines  of  Georgia  produce 
more  than  one-half  the  yellow  ocher  out- 
put of  the  United  States.  These  mines 
are  located  near  Cartersville,  Bartow 
County.  The  deposits  are  confined  to  a 
narrow  belt  about  eight  miles  in  length 
and  less  than  two  miles  in  width.  The 
most  extensive  workings  are  those  of 
the  Georgia-Peruvian  Ocher  Company, 
situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Etowah 
River,  two  and  one-fourth  miles  east  of 
Cartersville.  Ocher  mining  in  the  Car- 


OCHER  PLANT,  BARTOW  COUNTY. 

tersville  district  had  its  beginning  in 
1877.  In  1890,  the  Georgia-Peruvian 
Ocher  Company  began  operations  on  an 
extensive  scale,  and,  later,  three  other 
large  ocher  plants  were  put  in  operation. 


34       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

The  total  maximum  output  of  these  four 
plants  is  estimated  at  about  1,000  tons 
per  annum. 

The  principal  use  made  of  the  yellow 
ocher  mined  in  Bartow  County,  up  to  the 
present  time,  is  in  the  manufacture  of 
linoleums  and  oilcloths.  The  important 
markets  are  England  and  Scotland.  It 
is  also  used  to  a  limited  extent  in  the 
manufacture  of  paints. 

Reference  on  Ocher: 

Watson,  Thos.  L.,  Ocher  Deposits  of  Georgia  : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  13,  1906,  81  pp. 

PRECIOUS  STONES 

A  large  variety  of  minerals  suitable  for 
gems  and  other  ornamental  objects  and 
cabinet  specimens  has  been  found  in  the 
State.  No  systematic  mining  for  gems, 
however,  has  been  carried  on,  and  the 
finds  have  been  accidental,  or  incidental 
to  gold,  corundum  and  other  mining. 
Nearly  all  of  these  minerals  are  found  in 
the  Piedmont  Plateau  and  the  mountain- 
ous section  of  the  northeastern  part  of 
the  State.  The  most  important  gem 
stones  heretofore  noted  as  occurring  in 
the  State  are  as  follows:  Diamond,  ruby, 
amethyst,  rose  quartz,  rutilated  quartz, 
smoky  quartz,  agate,  jasper,  opal,  beryl, 
garnet,  rutile,  moonstone. 

Reference  on  Precious  Stones: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       35 
POTASH-BEARING  SLATES 

Slates  containing  7  to  10  per  cent,  pot- 
ash occur  north  of  Cartersville,  Bartow 
County,  in  a  belt  15  miles  long  and  1  to 
4  miles  wide.  The  best  exposures  are 
near  White,  on  the  L.  &  N.  Railway, 
where  a  thickness  of  several  hundred 
feet  of  such  material  may  be  worked  by 
open-cut  methods.  It  is  believed  that 
these  slates  are  exceptionally  fine  raw 
material  for  the  extraction  of  potash  for 
fertilizer  and  other  purposes. 

Some  of  the  slate  has  also  the  essen- 
tial physical  and  chemical  properties  of 
a  first-class  roofing  slate. 

Reference  on  Slate: 

Shearer,  H.  K.,  Slate  Deposits  of  Georgia : 
Bull.  Go,.  Oeol.  Survey  No.  35,  in  preparation. 

PYRITE 


36       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

near  Hiram,  Paulding  County;   the  Mari 
etta   mine   near  Marietta,   Cobb    County 
the  Sulphur  Mining  &  Railroad  Company 
mine  in  Douglas  County,  and  the  Waldro; 
mine  near  Draketown,  Haralson  County 
Other    promising    deposits,    which    have 
been  worked  in  the  past  or  rather  exten- 


PYRITE  PLANT,    CHEROKEE  COUNTY. 

sively  explored  are  Reeds  Mountain, 
near  Bremen,  Haralson  County;  the 
Southern  Star  mine,  four  miles  west  of 
Woodstock,  Cherokee  County;  the  Swift 
mine  near  Draketown,  Haralson  County; 
the  Swift  or  Blake  mine  at  Creighton, 
Cherokee  County;  the  Canton  Copper 
mine,  Cherokee  County;  and  the  Mam- 
moth mine  near  Hiram,  Paulding  County. 
The  copper  ore  from  Mine  No.  20,  Fannin 
County,  is  also  a  source  of  sulphuric 
acid. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       37 
References  on   Pyrite: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Ga.  GeoL  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

Shearer.  H.  K.,  and  Hull,  J.  P.  D.,  A  Pre- 
liminary Report  on  a  Part  of  the  Pyrite  De- 
posits of  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No. 
-'{.">.  in  preparation. 

ROAD    MATERIALS 

The  road-building  materials  of  Geor- 
gia are  quite  abundant  and  pretty  evenly 
distributed  throughout  the  State.  Nearly 
all  the  varieties  of  stone  used  in  highway 
construction  occur  in  large  quantities  in 
many  sections.  It  is  questionable 
whether  any  State  in  the  Union  possesses 
a  greater  variety  of  road-building  mate- 
rials than  the  State  of  Georgia. 

References    on    Road    Materials: 

McCallie,  S.  W..  Roads  and  Road-Building 
Materials  of  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey 
No.  8,  1901,  264  pp. 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Public  Roads  of  Georgia, 
Second  Report :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  24, 
1910,  36  pp. 

McCallie.  S.  W.,  Public  Roads  of  Georgia : 
Bull.  Ga.  GeoL  Survey  No.  28,  1912,  12  pp. 

SAND  AND  GRAVEL 

Sand  and  gravel  are  both  widely  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  State.  They  are 
especially  abundant  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  Coastal  Plain.  Enormous  deposits 
of  sand  are  to  be  seen  near  Howard,  on 


38      GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

the  Central  of  Georgia  Railway,  in  Taylc 
County;  at  Junction  City,  in  Talbot  Cour 
ty;    on   Bull   Creek,   three   miles   east 
Columbus;   on  the  west  side  of  the  Flin 
River,  at  Bainbridge;  on  the  Flint  River 
just  opposite  Albany;  on  the  east  bank 
Little  Ogeechee  River,  one  and  one-half 
miles  northeast  of  Lumber  City;   and  on 
the  east  bank  of  the  Oconee  River  at  Dub- 
lin.    In  addition  to  these  various  locali- 
ties there  are  numerous   other  localities 
throughout  the  Coastal  Plain  where  more 
or   less   extensive   deposits   of   sand   and 
gravel  are  to  be  found.     In  the  Piedmont 
Plateau  and  the  Appalachian  Valley   re- 
gion,  the   sands  and   gravels   are  mostly 
found  along  the  streams. 

References   on   Sand   and    Gravel: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Roads  and  Road-Building 
Materials  of  Georgia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey 
No.  8,  1901,  264  pp. 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

SERICITE 

Sericite  of  exceptional  purity  occurs  in 
Pickens  County  only  a  short  distance 
west  of  Jasper,  where  it  is  found  in  beds 
from  a  few  inches  to  six  feet  or  more 
in  thickness,  interlaminated  with  quartz 
schist. 

The  mineral  is  a  variety  of  mica  made 
up  of  small  elongated  silver-colored 
shreds.  It  resembles  talc  very  closely,  in 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.      39 

physical  properties,  and  is  often  used  for 
the  same  purposes. 

The  Pickens  County  sericite  has  re- 
cently attracted  considerable  attention  as 
a  raw  material  for  the  extraction  of  pot- 
ash. Two  different  companies  are  now 
mining  this  material  with  a  view  of  ex- 
tracting the  potash  for  fertilizer  pur- 
poses. The  results  of  the  tests  so  far 
worked  out  by  the  companies  here  re- 
ferred to,  have  not  yet  been  made  public. 
However,  they  appear  to  be  very  san- 
guine of  a  financial  success. 

References  on  Sericite: 

Hopkins,  O.  B.,  Asbestos.  Talc  and  Soapstone 
Deposits  of  Georgia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey 
No.  29,  1914,  319  pp. 

Galpin,  S.  L.,  Feldspar  and  Mica  Deposits  of 
Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  30,  1915, 
192  pp. 

SERPENTINE 

Serpentine  is  a  hydrous  silicate  of  mag- 
nesia, carrying,  usually,  more  or  less  im- 
purities. The  only  deposit  of  serpentine, 
so  far  worked  in  Georgia,  occurs  at  the 
Verde  Antique  Marble  Quarry  in  Chero- 
kee County,  about  two  miles  southwest 
of  Holly  Springs.  The  stone  is  used  al- 
most exclusively  for  interior  finish  and 
decorations.  It  is  especially  adapted  for 
stairways,  corridors,  mantels  and  pedes- 
tals for  statuary. 


40       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 
Reference  on  Serpentine: 

McCallie,   S.   W.,   Marbles  of  Georgia :     Bui 
Go,.  Geol.  Survey  No.  1,  Revised,  1907,  126  pp 

SLATE 

Slate  is  found  in  Georgia  in  Bartow  am 
Polk  counties.     The  largest  area  of  slat 
in  Polk  County,  extends  from  about  thre 
miles  south  of  Cartersville  to  about  fiv 
miles   south  of  Rockmart.     Another  bel 
of  slate  of  the  same  age  occurs  south  o 
Cedartown.     The  Polk  County  slate  is  o 
a  dark  blue  to  black  color.     It  has  a  fin 
texture  and  smooth  cleavage  and  but  few 
defects.     Another    very    promising    slate 
belt  is  found  in  northern  Bartow,  Gordon 
and   Murray   counties.     This   slate   has   a 
greenish   color  and   possesses   all   of  the 
physical    and    chemical      qualities      of   a 
first-class  roofing  slate. 

References   on   Slate: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

Shearer,  H.  K.,  Slate  Deposits  of  Georgia : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  35  in  preparation. 

TALC    AND   SOAPSTONE 

Talc  is  a  white,  gray  or  greenish  soft 
mineral  with  a  greasy  feel.  It  is  a  sili- 
cate of  magnesia.  Soapstone  is  usually 
considered  an  impure  form  of  talc. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       41 

Talc  has  been  found  at  a  large  number 
of  localities  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
State,  but  commercial  deposits  have  been 
developed  at  only  a  few  places.  Soap- 
stone  is  more  widely  distributed.  Pour 
companies  are  at  present  producing  talc 
in  Georgia.  The  mills  of  these  companies 
are  located  at  Chatsworth,  Murray  Coun- 
ty, and  the  mines  are  on  Fort  and  Co- 
hutta  mountains,  about  three  miles  dis- 
tant. A  considerable  amount  of  pros- 
pecting and  mining  has  been  done  on  the 
Dickey  property,  one-half  mile  south  of 
Mineral  Bluff,  Fannin  County.  Talc  has 
also  been  mined  to  a  limited  extent  near 
Ball  Ground  and  Holly  Springs,  Cherokee 
County.  Favorable  prospects  are  known 
to  occur  in  other  counties  in  north  Geor- 
gia. Talc  is  principally  used  for  pencils, 
gas  tips,  paper  filler,  lubricants,  fire- 
proof paints  and  toilet  powders. 

References    on    Talc   and    Soapstone: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Ga.  Oeol.  Survey  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

Hopkins,  Oliver  B.,  Asbestos,  Talc  and  Soap- 
stone  Deposits  of  Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Sur- 
vey No.  29,  1914,  319  pp. 

TRIPOLI 

A  light,  porous,  siliceous  stone,  locally 
known  as  tripoli,  occurs  in  Murray,  Whit- 
field,  Chattooga  and  other  counties  in 
northwest  Georgia.  One  of  the  best 
known  deposits  in  Murray  County  is  on 


42       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

the  Tilton  property,  near  Spring  Place. 
There  are  several  localities  in  Whitfield 
County  where  it  is  known  to  occur.  It 
has  been  rather  extensively  worked  near 
Dalton  and  Lyerly.  Tripoli  mined  in 
Georgia  is  said  to  be  used  largely  in  the 
manufacture  of  scouring  soaps  and  polish- 
ing powders. 

Reference   on   Tripoli: 

McCallio,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Resources  of  Geor- 
gia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survcv  No.  23,  1910, 
208  pp. 

MINERAL  WATERS 

Mineral  springs  of  greater  or  less  im- 
portance are  widely  distributed  through- 
out the  State.  They  are  abundant  in  the 
Piedmont  Plateau  and  Appalachian  Val- 
ley, where  one  or  more  having  a  local 
reputation  are  met  with  in  nearly  every 
county.  These  springs  are  especially 
abundant  in  the  mountainous  regions  of 
the  Piedmont  area,  where  many  of  them 
have  become  sites  of  prominent  summer 
resorts. 

References   on    Mineral    Waters: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Underground  Waters  of 
Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  15,  1908, 
376  pp. 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Mineral  Waters  of  Georgia  : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  20,  1913,  190  pp. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       43 
ARTESJAN   WELLS 

The  artesian  wells  of  Georgia  are  prac- 
tically all  confined  to  the  Coastal  Plain, 
which  is  the  only  part  of  the  State  where 
the  geological  conditions  are  favorable 
for  artesian  water  supply  in  large  quan- 
tities. A  considerable  number  of  deep, 
non-flowing  wells  are  also  found  in  the 
Crystalline  and  Paleozoic  areas,  but  as  a 
general  rule  these  wells  furnish  only  a 
limited  amount  of  water  and  they  can  not 
always  be  relied  upon  for  a  continuous 
supply,  as  they  are  often  affected  by  long 
drouths. 

References   on   Artesian    Wells: 

McCallie,  S.  W.,  Artesian  Wells  of  Georgia : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  7,  1898,  214  pp. 

-    Underground    Waters    of    Georgia : 
Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  15,  1908,  376  pp. 

WATER    POWERS 

It  is  estimated  that  the  streams  of 
Georgia  at  low  water  will  furnish  an  ag- 
gregate of  500,000  horse-power,  only  a 
small  part  of  which  is  now  developed. 
The  money  value  of  this  power,  reckon- 
ing a  horse-power  at  $20.00  per  annum, 
is  $10,000,000,  which  is  nearly  twice  the 
State's  annual  income  from  taxes  and 
all  other  sources.  By  the  use  of  storage 
dams,  or  by  the  use  of  auxiliary  steam 
power  for  short  periods  during  the  dry 


44       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

season,  fully  1,000,000  horse-power, 
low  estimate,  could  be  utilized. 

References  on   Water  'Powers: 

Anderson,  C.  C.,  and  Hall,  B.  M.,  Water 
Powers  of  Georgia :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey 
No.  3-A,  1896,  150  pp. 

Hall,  B.  M.  and  M.  R.,  Water  Powers  of 
Georgia  :  Bull.  Ga.  Geol.  Survey  No.  16,  1908, 
424  pp. 

Hall,  B.  M.  and  M.  R.,  Third  Report  on  the 
Water  Powers  of  Georgia.  In  preparation. 


TALLULAH    FALLS    POWER    PLANT    (102,000 
H.    P.).    HABERSHAM  COUNTY. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  or  GEORGIA.       45 


BULLETINS    OF    THE    GEOLOGICAL    SURVEY 
OF   GEORGIA 

1.  Marbles  of  Georgia,  by  S.  W.  McCallie, 
1894,  87  pp.,  16  pi.,  and  2  maps.  Out 
of  print. 

1.  Marbles   of    Georgia,    Second    Edition,    Re- 

vised and  Enlarged,  by  S.  W.  McCallie, 
1907,  126  pp.,  52  pi.,  and  2  maps. 
Postage,  13  cents. 

2.  Corundum  Deposits  of  Georgia,  by  Francis 

P.  King,  1894,  133  pp.,  6  pi.,  1  map. 
Postage,  9  cents. 

3.  A   Part   of   the   Water-Powers   of   Georgia, 

by  C.  C.  Anderson  and  B.  M.  Hall,  1896, 
150  pp.,  10  pi.,  and  2  maps.  Postage, 
9  cents. 

4.  A  Part  of  the   Gold  Deposits  of  Georgia, 

by  W.  S.  Yeates,  S.  W.  McCallie  and 
Francis  P.  King,  1896,  542  pp.,  21  pi., 
and  1  map.  Out  of  print. 

5.  A    Part   of    the    Phosphate    and   Marls    of 

Georgia,  by  S.  W.  McCallie,  1896,  98 
pp.,  3  pi.  Out  of  print. 

6.  A   Part  of  the   Clays  of  Georgia,  by  Geo. 

E.  Ladd,  1898,  204  pp.,  17  pi.  Postage, 
11  cents. 

7.  Artesian-Well    System    of    Georgia,    by    S. 

W.  McCallie,  1898,  214  pp.,  7  pi.,  and  2 
maps.  Postage,  13  cents. 

8.  Roads     and     Road-Building    Materials     of 

Georgia,  by  S.  W.  McCallie,  1901,  264 
pp.,  27  pi.,  and  1  map.  Postage,  Ify 
cents. 


46       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

9.  A  Part  of  the  Granites  and  Gneisses  of 
Georgia,  by  Thomas  L.  Watson,  1902, 
367  pp.,  32  pi.,  and  4  maps.  Postage, 
21  cents. 

10.  Iron    Ores    of    Polk,     Bartow    and    Floyd 

counties,  Georgia,  by  S.  W.  McCallie, 
1900,  190  pp..  8  pi.,  1  map.  Postage, 
11  cents. 

11.  Bauxite  Deposits  of  Georgia,  by  Thos.   L. 

Watson,  1904,  169  pp.,  12  pi.,  and  1 
map.  Postage,  10  cents. 

12.  Coal   Deposits   of   Georgia,   by    S.    W.    Mc- 

Callie,  1904,  121  pp.,  14  pi.,  and  1  map. 
Postage,  9  cents. 

13.  Ocher    Deposits    of    Georgia,    by    Thos.    L. 

Watson,  1906,  81  pp.,  11  pi.,  and  3 
maps.  Postage,  6  cents. 

14.  Manganese      Deposits      of      Georgia,      by 

Thomas  L.  Watson,  1908,  195  pp.,  8  pi., 
and  2  maps.  Postage,  12  cents. 

15.  Underground  Waters  of  Georgia,  by  S.  W. 

McCallie,  1908,  376  pp.,  29  pi.,  and  2 
maps.  Postage,  20  cents. 

16.  Water-Powers    of    Georgia,   by    B.    M.    and 

M.  R.  Hall  1908,  424  pp.,  14  pi.,  and  1 
map.  Postage,  21  cents. 

17.  Fossil    Iron    Ore    Deposits    of    Georgia,    by 

S.  W.  McCallie,  1908,  199  pp.,  24  pi., 
and  3  maps.  Postage,  Ik  cents. 

18.  Clay  Deposits  of  Georgia,  by  Otto  Veatch, 

1909,  453  pp.,  32  pi.,  and  3  maps. 
Postage,  25  cents. 

19.  Gold  Deposits  of  Georgia,  by  S.  P.  Jones, 

1909,  283  pp.,  8  pi.,  and  2  maps.  Post- 
age, 16  cents. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  GEORGIA.       47 

20.  Mineral  Waters  of  Georgia,  by   S.  W.   Mc- 

Callie,  1913T  190  pp.,  24  pi.,  and  1  map. 
Postage,  11  cents. 

21.  Limestones  and  Marls  of  the  Coastal  Plain 

of  Georgia,  by  J.  E.  Brantly,  1916,  360 
pp.,  11  pi.,  and  1  map.  Postage,  18 
cents. 

22.  Brown    Iron    Ores    of    Georgia,    by    S.    W. 

McCallie.     In   preparation. 

23.  Mineral    Resources    of    Georgia,    by    S.    W. 

McCallie,  1910,  208  pp.,  20  pi.,  and  2 
maps.  Postage,  IJj  cents. 

24.  Public   Roads    of   Georgia,    Second    Report, 

by  S.  W.  McCallie,  1910,  36  pages. 
Postage,  5  cents. 

25.  Drainage     Investigations    in     Georgia,     by 

S.  W.  McCallie,  and  U.  S.  Department 
of  Agriculture,  1911,  123  pp.,  7  pi.,  and 
5  maps.  Postage,  12  cents. 

26.  Geology   of  the   Coastal   Plain   of   Georgia, 

by   Otto   Veatch   and    L.    M.    Stephenson, 

1911,  463     pp.,     30    pi.,     and     2     maps. 
Postage,  21  cents. 

27.  Limestones      and      Cement      Materials      of 

North    Georgia,    by    T.    Poole    Maynard, 

1912,  296  pp.,  22  pi.,  and  1  map.     Post- 
age, 18  cents. 

28.  Public    Roads    of    Georgia,    by    S.    W.    Mc- 

Callie,   1912,    12    pp.     Postage,   5   cents. 

29.  Asbestos,   Talc  and   Soapstone  Deposits   of 

Georgia,  by  Oliver  B.  Hopkins,  1914, 
319  pp.,  21  pi.,  and  1  map.  Postage,  11 
cents. 

30.  Feldspar  and  Mica  Deposits  of  Georgia,  by 

S.  L.  Galpin,  1915,  192  pp.,  9  pi.,  and 
1  map.  Postage,  16  cents. 


48       GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  GEORGIA. 

31.  Bauxite  and  Fullers  Earth  of  tlie  Coastal 

Plain  of  Georgia,  by  H.  K.  Shearer, 
1917,  340  pp.,  16  pi.,  and  1  map.  Post- 
age, 21  cents. 

32.  Agricultural  Drainage  in  Georgia,  by  H.  H. 

Barrows,  J.  V.  Phillips,  and  J.  E. 
Brantly,  1917,  122  pp.,  9  pi.,  and  6  maps. 
Postage,  12  cents. 

33.  A    Preliminary    Report    on    a    Part    of   the 

Pyrite    Deposits  of    Georgia,    by    H.  K. 

Shearer,  and  J.  P.  D.  Hull,  1918.  In 
preparation. 

34.  Third    Report    on  the    Water    Powers  of 

Georgia,  by  B.  M.  and  M.  R.  Hall,  1918. 
In  preparation. 

35.  Slate     Deposits     of     Georgia,     by     H.     K. 

Shearer,  1918.     In  preparation. 

36.  Barytes   Deposits   of  Georgia,   by   J.   P.   D. 

Hull.     In   preparation. 


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